23.8.16

#Rio2016 on social media: Top Olympic moments on Facebook

Here's a look back on the memorable moments that made #Rio2016 one of the 'most social and interactive sporting events' to date

MANILA, Philippines – The world came together for the greatest sporting event on the planet and for this year, social media users worldwide turned to Facebook to show support for their countries and favorite Olympic athletes.

According to a blog post published by Facebook, 277 million people across the globe had 1.5 billion interactions related to the Olympic Games, making it one of the "most social and interactive sporting events" to date.

Infographic from Facebook

Top posts on Facebook

During the 16-day sporting event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, several athletes and other notable personalities shared their special Olympic moments on Facebook.

Below are some of the most engaging and most shared posts about the Olympics:

The Philippines joins India and Pakistan as the top countries which used Facebook's profile frame feature. About 15.2 million people used this feature during the Olympics. It allowed users to show their support for their countries by adding a national flag and Rio 2016 Olympic logo as the border in their profile photos.

Screenshot from Facebook

Most viewed Facebook Live video

USA swimmer and 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps went live on Facebook for almost an hour before his final event and confirmed his retirement from the Games.

This was the most viewed live video by an Olympian during the Rio Games, with over 3.9 million views as of posting.

The most decorated Olympian capped his epic Olympic career with 5 gold medals and one silver in Rio. (READ: Phelps' Olympic career of gold, anger and contentment)

Rappler's top Facebook posts

History was also made in Rio when the Philippines won its first Olympic medal in 20 years courtesy of weightlifting silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz.

Here are some of Rappler's top Facebook posts about the Rio Olympics:

Meanwhile, 21-year-old swimmer Joseph Schooling won the first Olympic gold medal for Singapore when he finished first in the men's 100m butterfly division, beating Phelps.

These posts about Schooling are also among Rappler's top Facebook posts during the Olympics.